Mother & child : representations & implications

Abstract

The recent development within my Studio Research is the outcome of a growing discontent with the way in which both as mother and artist I was representing my maternal experiences. In acknowledging the concerns of many Feminist writers who have challenged the sentimental representation of motherhood, I began to research and examine some of the mechanisms of representation and how they have been deployed in the conceptual construction of the idea of "Motherhood" as envisaged both culturally and symbolically. The first chapter inquires into some of the definitions of representation by Post-Modern and Feminist writers: the construction and reproduction of representation, the different implications of motherhood as elucidated from a patriarchal perspective - by both political theorists and artists. I look into the functions and purposes of some mainstream representations in their social, religious and cultural aspects, how these artworks influence our attitudes and values as a society, in the way the role of women as mothers is prescribed and understood. In the second chapter, I examine and survey the strategy of both western and local women artists in Malaysia, their decisions, actions and tactics, their attitudes, comments, and outlook on motherhood, in their dual roles as both mothers and artists. Examining why and how they go about interpreting and representing the intimate human relationship that binds a woman as mother with her infant or child. The third chapter examines the feminine visions of those artists that challenge the mainstream perspective and ideology about women, especially through their critique of notions of the 'feminine'. Lastly, conclusion refers to the series of studio works produced as central to the core research and illustrate many of the different approaches to the representation of motherhood canvassed in the previous chapters.

Date of Award	2004
Original language	English